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An excellent historical fantasy that tells the story of "300" from the eyes of a servant in the Spartan army.

This is only the first Historical Fiction book that I have read, and given that I liked (but didn't love) the first one I read, I had mixed feelings going into this one. Over the past few years I have been exclusively a fantasy reader, but I am also Greek and have always been fascinated by the Battle of Thermopyle - which this book is about. Ultimately while I do think there were some issues that prevented me from giving this a 5/5, I thought this was a riveting story that was excellently written and would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading books with lots of violence and profanity.

I thought the choices the author made in terms of how this story was told was brilliant. This doesn't take the "300" route and tell the story from the perspective of King Leonidas - but instead tells it from the perspective of a servant in the army. This made the book feel much more alive and gave a richer sense of what the common soldier was going through than would have been otherwise possible. I also loved that this story used a framing narrative, where the story is being told by this Greek servant to the Persian forces after the Persians won the battle. It allowed the author to make frequent jumps from the present push into Greece, as well as spending most the time going back in time to tell the story from the Greek side.

Strangely enough, I actually thought that the strongest parts of this book were the parts leading up to the battle itself. Learning the backstory of this Greek servant, and seeing the training regimes of the Greek soldiers was absolutely wonderful in every way. And while the battle itself was interesting, it's also the part that I already knew so a lot of the sense of wonder was removed and resulted in me just wanting the battle to speed along so I could get back to learning more about the parts I was not clear on.

I did find myself a bit underwhelmed by the ending of this book. The ending of the battle itself is not the end of this overall conflict. There was more too it that involved the Greeks ultimately repelling the Persians later on due to the efforts made at Thermopylae. But these events are very quickly skimmed. And while I'm sure most people that read this are done with the story after the central battle was concluded, I kept wanting more and feeling a bit cheated.

Ultimately though, this is a wonderfully crafted book that is rich on detail - that any fan of history (and likely people that aren't) will get great enjoyment out of what Steven Pressfield has written here.

One of the best book I've read lately. With ease, I was drawn into the story of Spartans. In my head, I imagined each piece of equipment and felt the anticipation of oncoming battles that have become legends. No one can remain indifferent to the heroism of the Spartans who opposed the massive Persian army.

Most historical fiction books, which I do enjoy reading, seldom grab my attention as intently as this book by Steven Pressfield. There are many reasons why I recommend this book. Here are a few of them:

1.tThe writing carries with it the essence of past days. The writing style of writers like Homer, Plato, and Plutarch have clearly influenced the voicing the author chose to characterize this book.

2.t“Gates of Fire” is incredibly researched. Not only is a great story being retold in an imaginative way, but the entire warrior culture is on display.

3.tThe story is humanized through the narrator Xeones, a mixture between a book on history and an interesting novel. It is easy to get wrapped up in the story, and it was hard for me to put it down.

4.tThe characters stay true to who they are, and the main ones are fleshed out, showing their weaknesses as well as their strengths. The author gently reminds us who a minor character is if her or she only has a tiny bit to add to the story at different times.

5.tEven though almost everyone knows this story and how it ends, the tension builds from early on and the last quarter of the book is a page-turner.

Anyone who loves to read history, historical fiction, or a well-written book of any genre will find “Gates of Fire” will fit all those descriptions. Five stars.

I'm no lover of brothers in arms novels nor of battlefield butchery, however I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Historical research is evident throughout the narration, I was impressed by the accuracy of the historical facts and the faithful portray of the Spartan society. I was moved by many scenes and dialogues between the characters which investigate interesting psychological and philosophical issues.

The language is beautiful employing the actual Greek vocabulary therefore providing a interesting linguistic perspective which I haven't found in any other historical fiction book.

The story line jumps back and forward and it reminded me of classical literature (e.g. Homer's ring composition).
This book might not be everyone's cup of tea due to the emphasis on battle talk and the insights on soldier's psyche but these elements are undoubtedly a true reflection of Spartan society.

Initially, knowing a bit of ancient Greece history and society aspects in general, I was sceptical of the account of Spartan attitude towards women, I thought that the strong female characters to be exaggerated, however, after some research on my part, I found that the events in the book are actually very plausible and believable. Lady Arete is my favourite character.

This book is not just for the boys and deserves 5 well earned stars.

When I first tried reading this book about the Battle of Thermopylae, after a while I just had to put it down. I didn't know if it was because I just didn't like it, or if it was because it wasn't the right time to read it. So I tried again.

Forgive me for saying something like this, but it's clear the book is written by a man. There is way too much detail, but absolutely no emotional foundation. I think one of the reviewers captured it best when he/she commented on Pressfield's ability in writing a "military novel." Need I say more?

I am betting my husband would love this. But for me, just when it gets good, Pressfield derails into too much boring, needless detail. I stuck it out pretty far, but after about 2/3, I've decided that there are too many other books in the world to spend any more time on this one.

I'm definitely going to see what my hubby thinks, though. When I find out, I'll update my review!

Ένα βιβλίο πραγματικός θησαυρός! Στίβεν Πρέσσφιλντ, ο σύγχρονος Ομηρικός συγγραφέας.

Stunning. If you have any interest in ancient history, the ancient Greeks, history in general, warfare, or just plain good writing, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

I don't want to be long winded here, because I think most of the other reviews for this book do it justice already. But what Pressfield does here is nothing short of masterful. This is truly his magnum opus. The way that he builds up the suspense to the final, horrifying, and shocking calamity that is Thermopylae, is incredible.

This is a book that doesn't gloss over the horror of warfare.

Reading this is like reading All Quiet on the Western Front but in ancient times.

This is not a tale of braggadocious hollywood heroes.

I was dumbstruck when the battle finally began.

I won't spoil anything (though anyone who knows even the very basics of this story knows how this will all go down), but this is a description of ancient warfare at its finest.

Ancient warfare was not, as many movies and even books would like us to think, a glorious and colorful event. And in his book, Pressfield makes this abundantly clear.

Men piss themselves.

Their legs quake with fear in the silent dread that comes right before battle.

Men cry.

Hoplites walk around in a daze, half-crushed helmets hanging off their heads limply.

Some are blinded.

Some go mad with fear.

The horrors of battle even drive the greatest veterans to the breaking point.

I don't know if a movie could ever do this book justice.

This might be, in my humble opinion, the definitive fictional work about Thermopylae.

Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.

Gates of Fire is a work of historical fiction that tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae. The history itself is well known. In the fall of 480 B.C., King Xerxes led an army of 2 million soldiers in their second attempt to invade Greece. King Leonidas of Sparta led 300 Spartans and a total force of around 4,000 Greek soldiers to engage the Persians at Thermopylae (the “Hot Gates,” in Greek), a natural choke point between a mountain wall and a seaside cliff that would reduce the Persians’ numerical advantage. After four days of holding the Gates while the Persians massed, and repelling the invaders for another two days in pitched battle, the Greeks were betrayed by a man who showed the Persian Immortals a mountain trail to sneak around the Greek lines and attack them from behind. Despite knowledge that they could hold the Gates no longer, Leonidas—who had received an oracle that either he would die or Greece would fall—sent the other Greek forces home while the remaining Spartans and Thespians fought to the death to protect their escape, delay the Persians as long as possible, and inspire a nation to defend themselves from Persian rule. And their sacrifice worked. A few weeks later, the Greek Navy routed the Persian fleet at Salamis and, the following year, a unified Greek army ended the Persian invasion at the Battle of Plataea.

The set up of Gates of Fire is that Xeones, a Spartan squire who survived the battle, has been asked by King Xerxes to speak about the Spartans who had proved so formidable. Xeones tells a winding tale about the fighting between Greek city-states, how he came to Sparta at 12 after his own city fell, the agoge school that trained Spartan boys to become Spartan soldiers, and the women who form the true backbone of the city. Xeones provides detailed backstories for the characters who ultimately played a role at Thermopylae, both the historical ones (King Leonidas and the Spartan officer Dienekes) and the fictional ones (most notably the Olympic champion Polynikes, young warrior Alexandros, the bastard Dekton, and the Lady Arete).

There are a number of things that make Gates of Fire work so well. First and foremost is the rich detail in the novel, covering everything from day-to-day life in Greece to the presentation of the battle itself. There’s discussion of not just the military tactics used by the Spartans, but their ethos, philosophies, and world views that led them to the Gates. The fighting here is brutal and bloody, completely realistic. It’s war, but thought of and presented as work. Even though you know going in that the Spartans are doomed to provide their noble sacrifice, the novel makes it both grittier and somehow more human and noble.

So, as the Spartans would apparently say, close your cheesepipe and “wake up to this.” Gates of Fire is an extraordinary work of historical fiction about a battle and defensive stand that Hollywood would reject as unrealistic if it weren’t true. Highly recommended.

About ten years ago I watched a movie titled House of Flying Daggers that my friend said was "a feast of the senses." I thought that was kind of a melodramatic and corny way to describe a movie but after watching it I understand exactly what he meant and it remains one of my favorite films to this day. The sets, scenery, costumes, and colors were beautiful, the script and pacing were a perfect blend of action, intrigue, drama, and romance, and the fighting scenes were well choreographed and edited perfectly for sound and sight. A truly remarkable movie. That brings me to this book. I cornily pronounce this book to be a feast of the senses. I could feel the blood-soaked dirt between my toes, I could hear the clash of bodies and armor, I could smell the blood, piss, and shit on the battle fields, and I could see the carnage of it all. But in between the battles the author does such a spectacular job bringing these historical figures to life I could feel their emotions and I experienced their pain, courage, love, loss, and fear. This was an amazing reading experience and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I chose this book reluctantly from my library's audiobook shelf. I thought I should read it because my knowledge of ancient history was pretty gap-filled, and because at some point I'm planning to rent "300" and this would be good background. I always pick up books I "should" read with grudging feelings.

Well. I was foolish to have hesitated over it, because this book is excellent. I'm just a few tracks from the end, and I feel wrecked by it. Knowing the outcome makes no difference--and even those who know nothing of Thermopylae will know the ending, because the book is told looking back in time.

The story is told my one survivor found by the Persians after the fateful battle. On the Persian king's orders, he tells not only the tale of the battle from the Spartan side, but also the culture, training, and beliefs of the Spartans and some of their Greek allies. It's the latter topics which take up most of the book, and which draw the reader in. Despite knowing how it comes out, the book is suspenseful as well as dramatic and moving. It's quite funny, in parts, as well.

I find myself wishing the author had written a book twice as long. I highly recommend it.

Review of Kindle edition
Publisher: Bantam
January 30, 2007
ASIN: B000NJL7QO
531 pages

Like G.K. Holloway's 1066: What Fates Impose, this novel by Steven Pressfield is what historical fiction should be. Well researched story of Thermopylae, true to the time and place, informative, excellent character development and a well written, engrossing story.

This book is about the Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece, where 300 Spartans fought to the death. The main character of the book is a slave who is captured by the Spartans. Even though he is a slave of the Spartans, he begins to admire their bravery and courage.

During the course of the book, we see the slave’s hometown get destroyed, we find out how he becomes a slave, and why he admires the Spartans’ courage. We also see the slave become a warrior who fights next to the Spartans. This was a surprising book for me. I wasn't expecting to like it and ended up loving it. This is also probably one of the better books on war that has ever been written.